Dwyane Wade is undoubtedly one of the greatest guards of all time. The three-time NBA champion has a whole list of accolades in his distinguished career. While he suffered significant injuries throughout his career that caused him to miss many games, there was a span of seven games that he absolutely does not regret missing.

Wade and his wife, actress Gabrielle Union, were blessed with a baby girl via surrogacy in 2018. After going through multiple heartbreaks, the Wades were over the moon with the birth of their first child together. Understandably, Wade wanted to be close to his daughter and wife, so he took some time off during his final season in the league.

While it was a necessary decision, it was unforeseen at the time for an athlete to take paternity leave. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Wade revealed why he felt it was necessary for him to take paternity leave. Oprah asked him about his decision which surprised the NBA world. Wade replied, “That is a mentality right, for professional athletes? You didn’t have the baby, you get right back to playing the sport.”

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After having multiple miscarriages, the Wades decided to have a surrogate baby. Although, the baby was born a few weeks early. So, Dwyane Wade felt it was important for him to be there for his daughter from the beginning. “This connection that we both needed, it had to happen right away“, Wade said.

Dwyane Wade felt it was a no-brainer

The Miami Heat legend revealed that he liked doing things his own way. He questioned the belief that his wife was expected to take a leave and he wasn’t. He explained, “We’re parents, we’re doing this together. So for me, it was a no-brainer.”

Wade felt that he needed to bond with his daughter. He said, “It was something I needed to bond with my daughter. I needed to be able to be there. She needed to hear my heartbeat as well.”

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While he wanted to be there for his daughter and his wife, Wade made sure people knew about his decision to take time off. Since he was on his farewell tour during the season, he wanted to inform people in advance so that they could plan accordingly. Wade played his last NBA game a few months after the birth of his daughter, Kaavia.